Calabashes and antelope horns are frequently used as containers for medicines, sacred oils, and other substances among different Tanzanian peoples. They are often closed with beautifully carved wooden stoppers, miniature heads that mimic larger sculptures and masks. As part of their healing repertoire, the Makonde use horn containers filled with medicinal substances. These functional objects become even more potent as healing devices when they are combined with feathers and carved heads that may represent ancestor spirits.

It was a tradition in Tanzania to finely carve to tops of the containers, which then gave the container more person importance and made itpossible to directly link the piece to a certain tribe and region mostly by the shape of the head and headstyle on the stopper.

Art Makonde 1989: 77-79,108-109.

The objects below are in the Geller Collection

Kwere or Zigua calabash medicine containerTanzania

In the Geller CollectionProvenance: Bryan Reeves with Tribal Gathering London

Kwere or Zigua calabash medicine containerTanzania

In the Geller CollectionProvenance: Bryan Reeves with Tribal Gathering London

Other examples for reference purposes

From the fantastic book:Paures de Tete (Hairstyles and Headdresses) from the Musee Dapper in Paris

Calabashes and antelope horns are frequently used as containers for medicines, sacred oils, and other substances among different Tanzanian peoples. They are often closed with beautifully carved wooden stoppers, miniature heads that mimic larger sculptures and masks. As part of their healing repertoire, the Makonde use horn containers filled with medicinal substances. These functional objects become even more potent as healing devices when they are combined with feathers and carved heads that may represent ancestor spirits.

Women healers carry medicinal oils and herbs in gourd containers. The hairstyle carved on the figurative stoppers is typical of that worn by girls during their coming-of-age ceremonies.

In the collection of the National Museum of African Art

Tanzanian calabash medicine container from Tribal Gathering London that was in the exhibition:"TO CATCH THE EYE & HOLD THE SPIRIT:RITUAL AND PRESTIGE CONTAINERS FROM WORLD CULTURES"The exhibition was in the entry garden of the San Francisco Tribal and Textile Arts show in San Francisco 2006Link to photos and information from the exhibition below

The fantastic collection of calabash medicine containers from Tribal Gathering London.Bryan still has some available, contact him through his website (linked above) for more information.They also carry some very nice eastern and south African objects.

TO CATCH THE EYE & HOLD THE SPIRIT:RITUAL AND PRESTIGE CONTAINERS FROM WORLD CULTURESBY VANESSA DRAKE MORAGA

(The exhibit that was in the entry of the 2006 San Francisco Tribal and Textile Arts Show)